


origami flowers

by Fimbulvetrstar



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Tags May Change, story starts after the second palace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2018-12-04 12:55:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11555631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fimbulvetrstar/pseuds/Fimbulvetrstar
Summary: Fox and Panther, artist and muse - two victims of a harsh world come to realize that life isn't so bad when you have someone who understands.





	1. the blossom unfurls

**Author's Note:**

> uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
> 
> so i like to put myself into rarepair hell willingly
> 
> and the lack of yusuke/ann, while understandable bc yusuke has a lot of popular ships, made me sad aND GAVE ME THE DRIVE TO COME UP W/ A MULTICHAPTER FIC FOR THEM
> 
> YKNOW. BC WHY TF NOT RIGHT-
> 
> EDIT: IT HAS JUST OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE TITLE IS WAY BETTER SUITED FOR A YUSUKE/AKIRA FIC AND I APOLOGIZE (also im changing it bc im never happy w/ the titles i come up w/ for fics skjlfsdlkjflksdjfks-) plus the title only really fit the first chapter so gg me

Yusuke the student artist was used to having few material possessions. Under Madarame’s roof, it was almost an unspoken rule to have as little as possible around you, as to not distract you from your work. And, true to his foster father’s teachings, he kept only the barest of necessities – brushes and paint, a futon, a couple sets of clothing… No decor. No personal trinkets. No technological devices, except for his cell phone, and even convincing Madarame to let him have _that_ had been a bit of an ordeal.

To Yusuke, that had all been normal. For sixteen years, that had been _his_ normal. The kind that only a life-changing revelation could make you think differently about.

Now, having stolen the twisted desires of his former foster father only a week beforehand, Yusuke the _Phantom Thief_ stared at the emptiness of his practically barren dorm room at Kosei and felt once more the loss of his former life.

Of course, the school provided the basics at the very least: a bed, a small desk and chair for schoolwork, a bookshelf pushed up against the wall, and a calendar. Yet the room itself felt so unlived in that Yusuke felt… almost unwelcomed. He shifted his weight uncomfortably in the doorway. He had told Sojiro-san and Amamiya-kun— _Ren_ , he corrected himself mentally—he would live here, and he had no intention of going back on his word… but it was hard to look at the weathered white walls and think of the place as _home_.

Rolling his suitcase into the room and closing the door, Yusuke exhaled a deep sigh. For the briefest of moments, he wondered if he would have been happier living in blissful ignorance as Madarame’s only remaining pupil.

_“The life of a fool. Turning a blind eye to the truth you had always known would only have made you no better than Madarame himself.”_

The first time Yusuke had heard Goemon’s rumbling voice in his head had been quite startling, and even now it still caught him by surprise. “Ah, yes – how could I forget that you arose from me having such thoughts to begin with?” Yusuke said to the empty space of the dorm room.

_“To consider such fantasies now is wasted time. Am I not the physical embodiment of how you truly feel?”_

Goemon was right, of course. “It was just a fleeting moment of homesickness, Goemon. Surely you understand that, being a part of me?”

_“Hmph.”_ Yusuke’s response seemed to have caused Goemon some form of amusement. “ _That clinging attachment to the past will fade with time.”_

“Then, for now, allow me the chance to work through these emotions. Right now, they are just as important to me as the ones that awoke you.”

Goemon, apparently satisfied with that, fell silent. While Yusuke waited for a response that didn’t come, he chuckled to himself. If someone had come to him at the beginning of all this and told him he would be having conversations with a separate, sentient part of his mind when he was alone, even he would have called them insane. All part of being a Phantom Thief, he supposed.

He came to the side of the bed and rested his suitcase against it, sitting himself on the edge and pulling out his phone. Since texting Ren about his sudden departure from LeBlanc, he hadn’t a chance to check for any sort of reply. While he appeared to have new messages, none of them were from the bespectacled boy – although, he found himself already unsurprised by this. He did come across as a very quiet leader; the kind who spoke when needed and spent more time listening instead. What _did_ surprise Yusuke, however, were the messages that he _did_ receive – specifically, the person who sent them.

“Takamaki-san…?” Yusuke murmured to himself, quickly reading them over.

> _Hey, Kitagawa-kun! Just wanted to check on u, make sure you’re alright. Wasn’t sure whether or not u got ur living situation figured out yet._
> 
> _Ren told me u left LeBlanc this morning before he woke up, so…_
> 
> _U around?_
> 
> _I’m sure you’re busy rn, so I’ll stop blowing up ur phone. Get back to me when u can!_

Her use of his last name reminded Yusuke that even though they were now on the same team and knew quite a bit about each other’s lives, they still didn’t really _know_ each other all that well—one-on-one conversation was very different from meeting and speaking as a group, after all. After the numerous awkward interactions they had before his induction as a Phantom Thief, he found it quite odd to see Ann reach out to _him_ rather than the other way around—let alone so insistently. After some deliberation, he tapped out a response.

> _My apologies if I left you concerned. I just made it back to my dorm room at Kosei, and I was rearranging my things._

Yusuke was about to hit send, but his finger hovered over the button. True, he had just returned to Kosei, but the rest of his reply felt almost… dishonest.

> _My apologies if I left you concerned, Takamaki-san. I just made it back to my dorm room at Kosei, and I… am at a bit of a loss at what to do now._

With those amendments, Yusuke pressed on his screen and watched his text become part of their chat feed. He was about to put his phone back into his pocket after a couple of minutes when he noticed she was already typing back.

> _What do u mean? U okay?_

He decided putting his art books on the shelf and clothing in the closet could wait for now.

> _While I have made the decision to live here of my own accord, it simply feels very jarring to move somewhere so different from what I’m used to._
> 
> _Madarame’s residence had admittedly poor living conditions, but it wasn’t something I ever gave much thought to._
> 
> _It… doesn’t quite feel like “home” yet here, if that makes sense._

It did feel good to put his thoughts into words, and even more so to share them with another person he knew he could trust. However, Yusuke couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty at venting said feelings so suddenly to Ann, who he’d only had a few personal conversations with.

> _Forgive me, I hope I did not disturb you by abruptly shoving my thoughts onto you like that._

Yusuke watched the typing symbol appear and disappear a few times before he received her next few messages.

> _Of course it makes sense, Kitagawa-kun! It would be crazy for anyone to expect u not to feel out of place moving there so suddenly._
> 
> _Sooooo what are the dorms like? I know u talked about them a lil bit before, but I’m curious._

Yusuke winced. Before, he had described them as unclean and hard to relax in, due to the noise coming through quite clearly through the thin walls. It wasn’t as if either of those things had changed… But there were other things about the dorms that weren’t so bad. Such as being able to see such a variety of people every day, and experiencing a different kind of freedom compared to living under someone else’s roof.

> _In truth, they’re quite drab. But I suppose they have their good points as much as living with Madarame did._
> 
> _I can’t say the rooms are very eye-catching, though._

After waiting a handful of minutes for another reply, Yusuke set his phone down on the bed and began unpacking his suitcase. He had just got done hanging his few outfits in the closet when he caught his phone lighting up out of the corner of his eye.

> _I would’ve thought u’d have some paintings to brighten the place up?_

Yusuke was sure Ann hadn’t intended it, but he still felt a twinge in his chest. Well, he _would_ have some if Madarame’s house hadn’t been cleared out by the police and investigators.

> _I’m afraid any of my pieces are now most likely being kept by the authorities as evidence of the plagiarism._
> 
> _Even if they were mine, a majority of them were marked with his signature…_

It didn’t take Ann long to respond this time.

> _:(_
> 
> _Head over to Shibuya rn._

After a moment, Yusuke realized she had worded that as a command and not an offer.

> _To Shibuya? Why? I’m in the middle of unpacking at the moment…_

Ann, as determined and stubborn Yusuke had come to know her for, was undeterred by his hesitance.

> _To shop w/ me at the mall! You said ur dorm room doesn’t feel like home yet, right? Well we’re going to change that._
> 
> _I just got paid for my last photoshoot, and they even gave me a lil extra this time, before u tell me u don’t have any money._
> 
> _Plus, I’m already here anyway. Ren and Ryuji are busy doing stuff, and it’s no fun hanging at the mall alone. Pls come?_

Well, it was true that aside from the botched modeling deal and Phantom Thief business, he and Ann hadn’t had any sort of opportunity to spend time with each other… Still, he found it quite odd that she was so adamant about all of this. Maybe Yusuke just wasn’t used to hanging out with other people in his age group yet?

> _I… suppose it won’t take me too long to unpack my things after we’re done._
> 
> _Very well, I’m heading to the subway right now._

As Yusuke grabbed what little money he had just in case and got ready to leave, he quickly read Ann’s last few messages and opened the door.

> _:D_
> 
> _See ya soon, Kitagawa-kun!_

* * *

As Yusuke boarded one of the many trains heading to Shibuya that day, it suddenly occurred to him that it could prove very difficult to find Ann once he got there. It _was_ a Sunday, and even though the subways were always unbearably crowded, they seemed to feel even more so as he thought about it.

People-watching was one of Yusuke’s favorite pastimes. Observing office workers and students in passing as they went about their lives had proven to give him ample inspiration for art on many occasions. Being directly thrust into the middle of the crowds, however, was definitely not something Yusuke enjoyed. Already, the constant din was making it difficult to do anything other than check his phone every few seconds and try to space out.

Although, some particular conversations he found he couldn’t ignore.

“You caught that one artist’s press conference the other day, right? Wasn’t that insane?”

“Watching an old man cry like that on camera was hard to watch… Could he really have done such horrible things to his students?”

“You know, I heard one of the students was his own _son_. I wonder what happened to him?”

“How could someone use their own child like that? Shameful – absolutely shameful.”

“But why didn’t his son do anything? Surely, he knew that Madarame was committing so many crimes. Shouldn’t some blame go to him, too?”

Once the train finally stopped in Shibuya, Yusuke stood a little too quickly, pushing through the crowds with more force than usual. One of his hands had balled into a fist so tight, he felt the bite of his nails against his palm. How easy it was for others to judge and gossip when they weren’t involved. He supposed it was a blessing that no one recognized him in the train.

_“Their words do not lessen your actions. Your justice. Do not lose sight of that.”_

Goemon’s voice once again rose against the buzz of people talking around him, and his tense shoulders loosened up a bit. Soon enough, the populace would move on to some other piece of news to chat about. Right now, he would simply have to bear through it.

The underground mall wasn’t a difficult walk from there, especially when you grew up navigating such crowded places. Finding his way into the cluster of salespeople and stores lined with merchandise, Yusuke wondered for a moment if he should try contacting Ann again when he glanced up and found there was no need.

“C’mon, why don’t we get away from all these people and enjoy some… alone time? You won’t regret it, I swear.”

Yusuke recalled how, the first time he’d met Ann, he had been captivated with her unique features—her beauty was one of a kind. As stood and watched a young man with a sleazy grin lean much too far into Ann’s personal space, he regretfully realized he was not the only one who thought so. Yusuke felt himself frown in disgust. The man had to have been in his twenties at the very least—had he no decency? Now Yusuke understood why Ann preferred to be around others instead of alone.

However, with barely restrained fire in her pale blue eyes, Ann crossed her arms and gave the man a glare Yusuke felt all the way from where he was standing against the opposite wall. “Alone time? Really?” She scoffed. “How many times have you tried using _that_ line? Look, I already told you that I’m waiting for a friend. Buzz off.”

Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Yusuke came closer to intervene, pushing around a group of people to the other side. “Pardon me—I do hope I haven’t kept you waiting long, Takamaki-san.”

Ann’s attention jerked toward him, her sandy-blonde pigtails bobbing slightly at the sudden movement. Her posture remained stiff, but her expression shifted into that of relief. The young man who had been pestering her also faced Yusuke, looking irritated for only a moment before he gave Yusuke a mocking sneer. “ _This_ is the guy you were waiting for? Really?” He took a step closer, trying to loom over him even though they were around the same height. “I bet even a breeze would be enough to snap this guy in half!”

Although Yusuke certainly found his insult to be lacking—he’d been struck by many a Shadow’s wind spell already and knew that wasn’t true—Ann got in-between the two of them and caused the man to step back. “ _Buzz. Off._ ” She lifted her head defiantly. “Or I’ll start screaming. Bet you’d _love_ to deal with the police, wouldn’t you?”

“…Tch.” Finally relenting, the man glared daggers at both of them. “Fine. Hope you have fun with this wimpy boyfriend of yours, bitch.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets and shoved through the middle of a group of friends as he left, storming off like a child throwing a tantrum. Once he was out of sight, Ann let out a sigh that loosened her shoulders, and she turned around back to Yusuke. “God—I’m sorry about that.” She lifted a hand to brush some loose hair behind her ear. “That guy recognized me from the cover of a magazine I did a shoot for and… Well, he’s not the first. But I’m glad you showed up when you did, I was beginning to think he’d never leave me the hell alone.”

“No, forgive me for not showing up sooner.” Yusuke said, looking around only to notice that no one around had paid any attention to what had just happened. “You would think, in a place like this, _someone_ would come to your aid during a situation such as that…”

“Yeah, you’d think so, huh?” But Ann took a deep breath and shook her head. “Hope he doesn’t try to harass some other poor girl.  Definitely doesn’t seem like the type to learn his lesson.”

How often did Ann have to deal with treatment like this? Yusuke felt a twinge of guilt at the thought—she had originally thought him to have the same intentions due to his actions. “I’m very sorry, Takamaki-san.”

Ann glanced up at him with a look of surprise. “Huh? What for?”

“I’m sure that, when we first met, you must have thought I was going to do the same as that man just did to you.”

“Oh—right, I did think that you were a stalker…” Ann crossed an arm under her chest, lifting her other hand up to her face and resting a few cherry-red polished nails against her cheek as she remembered. “I mean, it did freak me out, but now I know you aren’t the type to just creep on girls. Although, I wouldn’t recommend doing that to any people you want to model for you in the future. Unless you want them to think you’re a perv.”

Although Ann’s tone was slightly humorous, Yusuke nodded seriously in response. “Rest assured, I am not planning to do so again in the future.”

“Aw, lighten up, Kitagawa-kun! I was just teasing you.” Ann paused for a moment. “Actually, while we’re talking about it, dropping nudity on your model suddenly isn’t a great plan either. Just in case you were wondering.”

Yusuke’s ears burned as the memories of his botched nude modeling session rose in his mind, and he covered his face with hand in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. When he caught a glance at Ann’s face through his fingers, her smile was catlike. “Y-yes, well… Noted. Thank you. Now, please, what exactly were you planning when you invited me here?”

Ann giggled before speaking, and it occurred to Yusuke that it wasn’t something he heard often from her. It was a pleasant sound, bright and genuine. “Sorry, sorry—believe me, I’ve done my fair share of teasing to Ryuji too. Just something you’re going to have to get used to, Kitagawa-kun.” She winked. “Buuuut, I invited you here because I wanted to take you shopping for things you can put in your room! Some nice little things to make it feel more personal.”

“Yes, you did say something to that effect in your messages.” Yusuke glanced at the shops around them, watching people enter and exit with the same frequency. “But I’m afraid I haven’t the faintest idea where to start…”

Suddenly, Yusuke felt something tugging his arm. Ann had grasped a hand around his wrist and was pulling him toward the lines of people he had been watching only a moment before. “Why else do you think I invited you? I want to help!” Ann said eagerly. “I already have a few places in mind we can check out—oh, and if you want, we can stop by Rafflesia too. You seem like the type to keep flowers in his room.”

Normally, Yusuke would expect someone to suggest something like that to him as a taunt. Regardless of the fact that Yusuke _did_ like flowers, thinking of them as art gifted to them by nature itself, it was just another eccentricity of his that his classmates found strange and alienating about him. Ann, however, was completely and honestly sincere in her offer.

Yusuke smiled, following her toward the first store. “Yes, actually. That would be very nice.”

* * *

If Yusuke left Ann exasperated with the amount of time he took deliberating his shopping choices, she definitely got her revenge when the time came to get some dinner.

“Oh, this dish looks really good… but it’s so much food.” Sitting opposite of him at the booth they’d been given at the nearby diner, Ann chewed her lip indecisively while looking over the menu. “What if I’m too full to have dessert afterwards? The parfaits here are too good to _ever_ pass up…”

Having already given the server his order, Yusuke quickly found his mind starting to wander and had already begun the process of folding his napkin into an origami flower – at least, the best he could muster with the quality of the paper. Ann hadn’t seemed to have noticed, too absorbed in the inner turmoil of trying to decide which meal was the perfect option to have with dessert.

Yusuke spoke up, not slowing the movements of his fingers for even a moment. “Don’t you come to this place often, Takamaki-san?”

She glanced up from the menu, pulled from her circular train of thought. “Hm? Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Why don’t you just choose something you’ve gotten before, then?”

“Because, Kitagawa-kun!” She pouted, turning back to the menu. “Variety is the spice of life! What’s the fun of going out to eat only to get the same thing every time?”

Yusuke fiddled with a corner of the napkin that was trying to wrinkle into itself. “If that’s how you feel about it, I suppose.” He hesitated for a moment. “…Takamaki-san, are you sure about spending this much—"

He started to turn his attention back to her as he spoke, only to cut himself when he noticed she was already looking at him. “ _Yusuke._ I already _told_ you before, don’t worry about it, alright?” While her tone was firm, her eyes were much softer. “Ren already takes care of keeping us well-equipped, doesn’t he? And my parents are home for a little while right now, too. They’ve never been stingy about money or buying things for me.”

Yusuke’s eyes drifted down to the bags of decorations and trinkets they had brought with them from the mall, almost wincing when he remembered the cost. Ann, however, seemed to have caught that in his expression and continued. “And _you_ ,” she jabbed a finger at him, “just lost the only father you’ve ever known, _and_ the home you grew up in. And I know you don’t regret anything that we did in bringing Madarame’s crimes to light, but… I know that just because the mission worked out doesn’t mean that everything is okay again afterward.”

Ann’s voice wavered at the last couple of words. _That’s right._ Yusuke remembered the day he’d awoken to his Persona, and how after they got back, Ren and the others explained to him that they had come to realize their own power while exposing the disgusting crimes committed by a teacher at their school. _Kamoshida._ There had always been a burning hatred in Ann’s eyes every time his name was said aloud. “You’re thinking about that teacher from your school, yes?”

Ann nodded, resting the side of her head against her hand as rested her elbow on the table. “That _bastard_ , Kamoshida, he… he almost ruined my best friend’s life forever.” The mixture of pain, anger, and regret in her voice reminded Yusuke of his own feelings toward Madarame, after realizing the truth of who he really was. “And even though we were able to make him pay for what he did, that didn’t change the fact that Shiho was left barely alive in a hospital bed because of him. That we were still victims left in the aftermath, and that we’ll never be able to forget what he did to us.”

“Takamaki-san…” Yusuke tried to find some words to comfort her, but found himself unable to. It was impossible when he hadn’t yet figured out how to move past that feeling himself.

“We’re all victims, y’know? You, me, Ren and Ryuji… we’ve all been forced to suffer at the hands of shitty, selfish adults.” She balled her other hand into a fist against the table. “That day, when I pulled you into Madarame’s room of counterfeit paintings and saw the way he _still_ tried to make you believe his lies, and the look on your face—no, even before that, at the museum when you knew Madarame was being given credit for your work… I knew that we _had_ to save you from him after that.”

That’s right— _Ann_ was the one that had been there during all of those moments. She had seen firsthand the inner turmoil Yusuke had been feeling at allowing his teacher to claim his work as his own, and the moment he had to face reality that Madarame never truly cared about art at all, beyond the money it made for him. Suddenly, he saw her in a new light. Perhaps she knew him better than he had previously thought, after all. “Is… that why you wanted to do this today? To aid me in… recovering from the aftermath?”

Ann gave him a small, slightly sheepish smile. “I mean, your life was turned upside down by us, at least a little bit.” She shrugged a little. “And your texts made it really hard to sit at the mall and pretend there wasn’t anything I could do to help you out. I mean, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Friends…” Yusuke echoed her softly, only able to think of the other students of Kosei and how they generally avoided him all together.

“Well, yeah, of course!” Ann seemed surprised. “You’re one of us now!”

“Takamaki-san—no, wait… May I call you Ann?”

Ann grinned. “I think we know each other more than enough at this point, Yusuke.”

“Oh—yes, of course.” Yusuke agreed before continuing. “Ann, I simply… wanted to thank you. For… everything, really. I’m truly sorry we started off on the wrong foot, but I can already tell I’m very lucky to call you my friend. You and all the others.”

Taking a moment to press one last fold into the napkin, Yusuke held the flower up to Ann, offering it to her. Although the paper of the napkin was cheap and very much unsuited for origami, he had still managed to make it appear quite beautiful, despite the way it tried to wrinkle and tear under his hands. “Forgive me, it’s not much… but until I can repay you properly for this day, I would like for you to have this.”

“Aw, Yusuke!” Ann took the flower in hand delicately, turning it around in her fingers. “You really don’t have to worry about paying me back, honestly, but that’s very sweet of you. I love it. I didn’t think I’d be heading home today with a Yusuke Kitagawa original.”

Yusuke couldn’t help a chuckle. “I don’t usually do three-dimensional artwork, but I’m glad that you find it pleasing.”

They enjoyed the light-hearted moment until the sound of an awkward throat-clearing next to them jerked their attention away. The server who had taken Yusuke’s order earlier shifted his feet next to their booth, glancing at Ann. “Are you ready to order now?”

“Oh, oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Ann gasped, her cheeks growing pink with embarrassment. “I completely forgot, uh, could I get the… um…”

Yusuke watched Ann rapidly look over the menu once more, smiling as he took a sip of his coffee. Not as good as LeBlanc’s, but still pleasant – especially in the company of a friend like her. He would have to ask Ann to come here with him again sometime.


	2. anemones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so hey i know it's been like... two months since i've updated this but this is to prove im not dead i swear-
> 
> it's just that school has started up for me again and even tho it's only been a month it's been uhhhhhhhhh terrible (also i hit a pretty bad writing slump for like. all of august)
> 
> but bc i love yusuke/ann and have slammed face first back into rarepair hell i started reworking the outline i had in mind for this fic and now have something that im much happier with c':
> 
> every kudo and comment and bookmark i've gotten for this fic in the meantime really has been my motivational fuel to get this second chapter done so i just want to say real quick that i love u all and im glad that we all get to suffer in this hell together <3

Was she just imagining it?

Holding the lipstick she’d been applying away from her face, Ann nonchalantly tried to make it seem like she was simply checking her reflection in her compact mirror while glancing out at the hallway from the corner of her eye. It was hard to catch a full glimpse, but it wasn’t hard to notice. There was someone standing in the doorway.

Neither of them moved, caught in a passive aggressive stalemate. Ann heaved the quietest of sighs. Snapping the compact shut, she turned in her desk and prepared to call out to the voyeur, but as soon as she did they briskly continued walking. It was brief, but Ann did manage to take note of her short brown hair and frustrated crimson eyes as she left.

“Of course.” Ann muttered under her breath, clutching her mirror in a tight grip.

If there was one thing Ann hated, it was being scrutinized by other people. Being judged and openly stared at by others through wary eyes, no matter the reason; rumors clung to her like mist no matter where she went. About her looks, about who she hung around with—anything was free game to the other students at Shujin. But she could handle it, as long as she was the only one it was affecting. The student council president and her little “investigation”, however, was something entirely different—and dangerous.

She was just about to leave school for the day, but then she recalled that Ren had been planning for them to all meet today and talk about finding the next big shot, and to discuss some new potential targets in Mementos. _At this rate, we’ll have to hold off on doing anything today—again._ It was aggravating, but necessary. Better to lay low than give Niijima-senpai more reason to be suspicious of them, as much as Ann couldn’t stand sitting still when they had work to do.

Quickly packing up her things, Ann lifted her bag onto her shoulder and slipped her phone out of her pocket, heading towards the hall. Tapping open the group chat, she hurriedly typed out a warning to the others.

> _Heads up guys, Ms. Council President was eyeing me up just a second ago. Might not be safe to meet up today._

As she expected, Ryuji reacted immediately and volatilely at the mentioning of Makoto.

> _god, again? seriously?? this is such bullshit man, how r we supposed to get anything done w/ her constantly watching us like a hawk all the time_

Ann found it extremely difficult not to agree and start ranting, taking a deep breath as she passed through the front gates. They’d find a way to deal with it—they always found a way to work things out in their favor.

> _Believe me, I agree with u wholeheartedly. But she’s persistent, and we can’t ignore that rn. Mementos isn’t going anywhere, right?_

Ann paused a second to glance around her, making sure she wasn’t being followed. Once she felt she was in the clear, she entered the station and passed through the ticket gates, boarding the train allowing herself to relax. As always, the cars were filled to the brim with students and businessmen, but she somehow managed to find a seat for herself. Getting comfortable, she took her phone back out and checked the chat. A few new messages had appeared in her absence.

> _well yeah, but for all we know these people’s shadows could just be getting stronger down there while we’re forced to sit on our butts doing nothing just bc of her tryin to get up in our business_
> 
> _Not much we can do for now. Thanks for the warning, Ann._
> 
> _Just try not to draw any attention to yourselves in the meantime. We’ll meet up the day after tomorrow instead._

No surprise that Ren was the most level-headed out of all of them – just one of those reasons why he made for such a natural leader, after all.

> _Morgana says Ryuji should be especially careful._
> 
> _aw cmon man, why’s he gotta single me out all the time? dumb cat…_

There was something funny about the fact that Ren typed those kinds of things out for Morgana that made Ann snicker. _Honestly though, if we have to worry about anyone blowing our cover, it_ would _probably be Ryuji._

It then occurred to her that, with this change of plans, Ann had nothing to do for the rest of the day. Her head fell against the back of the seat as she frowned. She had even passed on a modelling session scheduled today in preparation for the inevitable Mementos trip. Her parents were gone on even more business, and while the idea of visiting Shiho at the hospital immediately crossed her mind, she just as soon remembered Shiho telling her that her family was going to be doing the same thing today.

 _Maybe they wouldn’t mind_ … Ann sighed, resigned. _No, I shouldn’t interrupt them._ It didn’t feel right – and Ann wasn’t sure if she would be able to hide the guilt she felt over what happened in front of Shiho’s parents.

As she mulled over whatever choices she had left, Ann’s attention jerked toward the train doors for a moment as they opened, people flooding in and out almost instantly. They must have come to one of the other stops already. She began to let her thoughts drift once more, only to get interrupted once again as someone spoke in front of her. “Ann?”

Ann’s eyes quickly snapped upward, meeting the faintly surprised gray eyes of Yusuke. “Oh, hey!” She smiled welcomingly, trying to scoot over as much as possible to give him a seat as well. “I didn’t know you traveled on this line.”

“I was about to say the same of you.” He settled beside her, just managing to fit in the space with his lean body. “The others aren’t with you? I thought most of Shujin went home this way.”

“Oh, they usually leave earlier than I do.” Ren always seemed to have somewhere to be, and Ryuji didn’t like to stick around the school longer than he had to – not that she could blame him much. “You got the texts, right? We’re not meeting today.”

Yusuke nodded, pulling out his phone. “Yes, I just checked a moment ago. Normally I don’t leave Kosei this late either, but I went back to the dorms to retrieve my sketchbook.” He gestured to the pad of paper on his lap, which looked slightly worn on the edges. “With the change of plans, I figured I would use this time to work on ideas for a new piece.”

He seemed excited at the prospect, but there was just a hint of trepidation in his eyes that made Ann wonder. “You don’t carry it around with you all the time?”

“Ah, well, you see…” He picked at one of the fraying corners, smile fading a bit. “It became very… difficult to have this one within sight for quite a while. I was given deadlines often, and I was reprimanded when I wasn’t working on new pieces for Madarame’s exhibitions. This sketchbook was the only place I had to work on what I truly wanted to make, but even then, whenever tried to draw in it I only felt guilty—like I was being selfish and wasting time.”

Ann dug her fingers into the seat cushion. He sounded so sad reminiscing on such thoughts, Ann couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty herself for bringing it up. “I should have given his Shadow another fireball to the face just for good measure.” She muttered, just loud enough for Yusuke to hear.

“Regardless, the sentiment is very much appreciated, I assure you.” Yusuke sounded amused as much as he did grateful. “So, what were you planning to do for the rest of the day, Ann?”

 _…Going to the crepe stand alone and stuffing my face all by myself?_ “Uh… I was asking myself that same exact question before you showed up, to be honest.”

“I see.” Yusuke paused as the train slowed to a stop, lifting his own schoolbag onto his shoulder and rising from his seat to leave. “Well, I was planning on going to Inokashira Park to work. Would you care to join me there?”

Grinning up at Yusuke, Ann found herself jumping eagerly at the idea. She loved to go to the park already on her own, having gone there on more than one occasion to clear her mind during the mess with Kamoshida—but going there and exploring the trails with others was always a fun experience. “Sure, I’d love to!”

As Ann quickly grabbed her own things, Yusuke offered a hand to help her out of her seat – which she took after a moment. His fingers were a little thin and surprisingly cool (a funny coincidence, Ann thought to herself, considering the element of his Persona), but there was something… nice about the way his hand felt against hers.

“To the park, then?” Yusuke said, leading them out the train doors.

* * *

With it being the very start of summer, the sunlight beat down on them bright and warm, partly obscured by the lush trees as their branches blew in the pleasant breeze. Slowing her pace to a stop, Ann closed her eyes and raised her arms to take a deep breath, enjoying the feel of the wind as it rushed around her and through her hair. Yusuke came to a halt beside her, and she let her arms fall back to her sides again to give him space. “Enjoying yourself?” He chuckled as she reopened her eyes and glanced around.

“Of course! Everything feels so much freer here compared to the city, don’t you think?” Spotting a grouping of white flowers growing on the side of the trail up ahead, she jogged over to take a closer look as Yusuke followed her at a more leisurely pace. “Oh, look at these, Yusuke!”

Crouching in front of them, Ann reached her hand out to cup the side of one of the blossoms, feeling the silk-like softness of the petals against her fingers. They were familiar, but Ann couldn’t put her finger on the name or why she felt like she’d seen them before. _At Rafflesia, maybe?_

“Anemones.” As if on cue, Yusuke said what they were aloud right as she was about to ask. He knelt next to her, placing his sketchbook on the grass and framing the flower patch through his hands—a habit Ann noticed him doing often, even when they were in the Metaverse. “What a pleasant sight to come across.”

“I don’t think these were here the last time I came…” Ann mused, resting her chin on her hand, watching how the pure white petals seemed to glow every time the sun managed to touch them through the shade of the trees above.

“Do you come here often, Ann?” Yusuke had stood up again, observing the sight from a different angle.

Ann nodded, reaching down to take one of the stems between her fingertips. The last time she had come was after Kamoshida’s change of heart, once she had left from visiting Shiho at the hospital. The sun had been setting, casting a vivid orange light across the pond as she sat by the edge, reflecting on everything that had just happened. “This is a nice place to come when you really need some time to yourself. I used to come here a lot, before I met the others.” She plucked one of the blossoms from the patch and stood as well, twirling it around and around in her hand. “I’m no artist, but I totally get why you’d want to come to a place like this for ideas. What do you think, Yu—”

Ann had started to shift her eyes over to him, only to awkwardly trail off. At some point, he had moved his hands up now to frame _her_ instead of the anemones with a focused look in his eyes. She flushed. “Y-Yusuke!” She was unable to control the way her voice rose in pitch, only embarrassing her further.

Yusuke jerked a little, as if he had been lost in thought, pulled out of it by the sound of Ann’s voice. “Oh, I…” He stuttered, his hands dropping instantly to his sides. “I must ask you to forgive me, Ann—I-I did not mean to… It’s just, with you standing like that, against the natural greens and browns of the trees behind you… the flower you’re holding, it makes a perfect focal point, and…”

He rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze. “I… do hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable again. I’m sorry.”

“W-wait, no, I mean…” Great, now she was having a hard time trying to find her words too. “You just… startled me, is all. I thought that maybe you’d given up on the whole idea of me modeling for you—not that I’m upset that you haven’t, or anything! I figured, y’know, with… how it went last time and everything…”

How was it that she’d brought up the same subject not long ago to tease him and was now becoming red-faced about it herself? Yusuke didn’t seem to notice, however, looking a bit surprised at her assumption. “Well, I wouldn’t say that I’ve lost interest… In a way, now that I know you much better, that desire has only grown—just in a different form than before.” He paused, taking a moment to pick his sketchbook up from the ground and brushing off a few leaves that had fallen onto it. “I certainly wouldn’t thrust the same expectations on you a second time, for starters.”

Which was a relief, but Ann didn’t want to dwell on _that_ incident more than was necessary. “Well…” She said uncertainly. “What kind of art _would_ you want to do of me?”

Yusuke seemed to seriously consider her question, putting a hand to his chin letting out a thoughtful hum. “…I must admit, I would very much enjoy drawing your bust, especially in these lovely surroundings.”

Ann felt her heart drop to her stomach so quick she could have tripped. “E-Excuse me?!”

But Yusuke just glanced back at her with a puzzled expression. “I am only asking to do a portrait of your head and shoulders… is that alright?”

 “…Oh. Right. O-Of course that’s what you meant.” Ann tried to play it off with a weak laugh, willing herself to relax a little more. _Hard to get used to the way he talks when he drops things like that so easily…_ “I… I think I’d be okay with that. So, you wanna do it right now?”

“Yes, if you wouldn’t mind posing for a little while.” Yusuke was already flipping through his sketchbook, Ann catching flashes of the other drawings held within as he went. “The one you were doing before would be wonderful.”

“I mean… I wasn’t really _posing_ , but sure!” Ann held up the anemone in her hand again, but hesitated, shifting her stance. “Uh… Would it be alright if I sat down, though? Just so my legs don’t get tired.”

Yusuke tapped his pencil against the side of his jaw, glancing toward a decently sized rock jutting out of the ground behind her. “It shouldn’t make much of a difference, if I’m only sketching your upper body. Does right here work for you?”

“Oh, yeah! No problem!” Ann quickly seated herself on top of the flatter part of the rock’s surface, crossing her legs and getting into a more comfortable position. Once she was all set, she gave Yusuke a thumbs up. “Ready when you are!”

Yusuke went to work almost immediately, swiping his pencil across the page in what looked like brisk, fluid strokes. As much as Ann could see without moving her head too much, anyway. Although she knew she had agreed to this willingly, it didn’t take long for her to start getting antsy – it felt like every passing minute could have easily been five. She resisted the urge to bite her lip. “…Hey, Yusuke?”

She received no response the first time, Yusuke being too absorbed in his work to even notice her saying his name. She sighed a little. “Yusuke!”

“…Hm? What?” Broken out of his trance, the movement of Yusuke’s hand slowed as he spoke.

“Do I _have_ to be quiet the whole time?”

Yusuke hesitated. “Well, when working with models, usually the artist and the model in question stay silent so they remain focused…”

 Ann pouted at the flower, trying to keep herself from facing him. “If I don’t talk or do _something_ , I’m going to start fidgeting. I don’t know how anyone sits completely still for this long.”

“But don’t you do professional modelling for magazines?”

“That’s different!” She said indignantly. “Taking photos goes way faster than this. And I usually me and the photographer work off each other while it’s going on.”

Distractedly, Yusuke made a couple more strokes against the page. “No, I… I’m sorry, but I need to concentrate. Please, just a little longer is all I ask.”

Ann would have tried to push a little harder, but there was something tight in his voice that made her falter. Instead she let out a soft, resigned sigh. “Alright, I understand.”

She pursed her lips, putting all of her extra energy into trying to keep as still as possible. It was strange, how easily you could feel every tiny movement of your muscles when you weren’t even actually moving. Clouds passed by slowly over their heads, the voices of people hiking up and down the trails of the park rose and fell from all around them as time went on, and just as Ann’s arm started to ache from holding it in front of her face for so long, Yusuke let out a groan of frustration and practically tossed his sketchbook at the grass by his feet. Putting a hand to his face, he then sat down quite heavily himself, unmoving.

Concerned, and a little confused, Ann forgot about his request to stay still and turned to him. His expression was hidden from view, but it was clear from the stiffness of his shoulders and way he hung his head that he was distraught. “Yusuke?” Unsure about whether she should remain seated or not, she called out to him. “What’s wrong?”

When he didn’t reply, Ann frowned. _Alright, professionalism can wait right now._ She swung her legs around the side of the rock to stand back up and walk over to him. “Hey, c’mon, what’s the matter?” She tried asking again, sitting down beside him and pulling her knees to her chest. “…Did I mess it up?”

“What?” Yusuke’s reaction to that was near immediate, lifting his head to face her with a look of guilt in his eyes. “No—heavens, no. I thank you for your patience, knowing that you have a difficult time staying completely motionless like that. Truly, I do.”

“Then, why do you look so upset?”

Yusuke averted his gaze. When Ann reached for his discarded sketchbook to take a look for herself, though, he tried too late to stop her. “No, wait, it’s not…”

He must have seen the awestruck look in her eyes, because he trailed off without another word as she examined every corner of the drawing. Everything from the backdrop of the trees behind her, to each petal of the flower she held, was meticulously detailed and vibrant, even without a single splash of color necessary. It didn’t have the exact realism of a photo like Ann was used to, but had personal touches and little things that she would never see during one of her modelling photoshoots – and it looked amazing. She had never seen herself portrayed in such a way before. “Oh my god, Yusuke! This is…” She gave him a quick glance of astonishment before shifting her attention back to the sketch. “This is beautiful!”

Yusuke, however, shook his head listlessly. “No… No, it’s not. The trees aren’t nearly full enough, linework of your hair moving in the breeze is barely noticeable, the shape of your hand looks like it was drawn by an amateur at best…”

He kept going without pause, running a hand through the front of his hair. “The shading on your face is all wrong, it goes completely against the light source, and… and…!”

Now, Ann could tell there was definitely something bothering him—and it wasn’t just the quality of the drawing that was upsetting him so much. “Whoa, whoa, slow down, Yusuke.” Ann placed her other hand on his back, running it back and forth soothingly across his shoulder blades as she set his sketch back down in front of them. “You know as well as I do that none of that is true. Anyone who saw this would know just how skilled you are, even from a glance!”

Yusuke looked like he wanted to believe her, but something held him back. “…All of the pieces I did under Madarame’s name were highly acclaimed by art critics. Each one, treated like a masterpiece.” There was a bitterness in his tone that tugged in Ann’s chest. “Since revealing the truth, I have only been met with distain. All of those masterpieces were little more than imitations—born from Madarame’s desire for fame and affluence. And they know that, now. How shallow those paintings truly were.”

His eyes grew dark, a churning mixture of weariness and sorrow. “…And I know that they’re right. I haven’t been able to look at any of my previous artwork the same way since. What I once created to capture the beauty I saw in the world has become… tainted by Madarame’s ideals. I… I don’t know what to do, Ann. An artistic slump is only inevitable, if I continue with these thoughts…”

“Yusuke…” Ann, frustratingly, found herself at a loss for words. The desire to say _something_ to help him feel better was there, but…

A sudden thought occurred to her, so sudden that she couldn’t stop herself from saying it aloud. “…Oh, that’s it! It was an anemone!”

She didn’t mean to sound so excited at the realization, but either way, now Yusuke was the one staring at her with a puzzled look instead. “…Would you… mind elaborating?” He asked after a moment.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to just… blurt that out like that, uh…” Ann tried to fight back the blush that had started to burn across her face. “The origami flower you made me – y’know, the last time we hung out. When we found that patch of flowers earlier, I thought I’d seen them before, but I couldn’t remember where. But that flower you gave me, it was an anemone, right?”

“Oh, that flower?” Yusuke seemed to be pleasantly surprised at her observation. “Yes, it was, actually. Do you know anything about the language of flowers?”

“Uh, aside from knowing that red roses stand for love…?”

“Anemones have many meanings, depending on where you are in the world.” Yusuke, appearing to welcome the momentary distraction, started to explain. “Ironically, they can stand for both protection against evil, as well as an omen _for_ that evil itself. Even death, at times. However, they can also represent the arrival of spring’s first winds, and excitement for the future.”

Yusuke’s eyes drifted down to the drawing’s anemone, held gently in Ann’s hand. “Truthfully, I meant it to stand for both of those things, as strange as it may seem.” For a moment, his expression softened into the hint of a smile. “My previous self, the pupil of Madarame, is dead. But I do not grieve for everything that I’ve lost, because even in the short amount of time I’ve know you all, you’ve already given me so much. And I’m incredibly grateful for the fact that I get to share my new future with you.”

 _…Wow._ Only Yusuke could say something as poetic as that without a second thought – but the sentiment of it left a warm, sweet glow in Ann’s heart. She followed his gaze, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. “…But that future seems pretty scary sometimes, huh?”

Yusuke closed his eyes for a moment, reopening them with a long sigh. “…Yes. I suppose that _is_ the root of my current problem, isn’t it?”

They mutually let that question hang in the air for a few moments, allowing the chirping of cicada songs and distant footsteps of other visitors fill the silence in the meantime. But now, Ann knew exactly what to say. “You’re right, Yusuke. Whatever happens now, you’re not alone in this – you’ve got all of us with you, too!” Feeling a surge of energy well up within her, she practically bounced back on her feet. “Whether it’s about art, or phantom thief stuff, or anything else. You know why?”

Yusuke lifted his head up to face her. Already, some of the visible stress on his face was gone, his expression growing lighter and more relaxed. “Because… we’re all friends, now.”

With a grin, Ann stepped away from his side, picking up Yusuke’s sketchbook in one arm and holding the other out toward him, offering him her hand just the same as he did to her earlier. “Exactly.” She said firmly, satisfied. “You and I are friends, Yusuke. So I want to help you through this, if I can. And I think I know just how to help.”

She could see Yusuke’s question in his eyes, but he let her pull him back into his feet first, taking back his sketchbook as she passed it back to him. “What do you propose, then?”

“I’d like to do more modelling for you!”

Yusuke didn’t even try to conceal his surprise, something that Ann barely suppressed giggling at. When they met for the first time, she had thought it impossible to figure out what was going on in his head. Now, it was clear to her that he was the type to wear his heart on his sleeve – as long as you knew him well enough, anyway. Something that she could definitely relate to.

“Are you certain, Ann?” Yusuke asked, as if worried she would change her mind. “If you mean to model for one of my paintings, they would be much longer sessions than the one you did today… and it would involve me observing you at much closer angles, as well. With how busy we are at the moment, it could easily take months for me to complete a single piece…”

 “If it means helping you get the inspiration to make more things like the drawing you did of me today?” Ann winked. “I think it would be well worth it.”

Ann knew he had a point. Only a short while ago, she probably would have felt very differently about the idea of trying to model for Yusuke again – but she also knew that it was very likely this art block was something he hadn’t told many others about just yet. _Plus, how many chances are we going to get to hang out and get to know each other better otherwise?_ The fact that they were spending this time together today at all had merely been by chance to start with. _I want to get better at modelling, and Yusuke needs a muse to work through his slump. It’s a win-win for both of us._

“B-but… I cannot ask so much of you without giving anything in return…” A flash of guilt lit up in his eyes. “I don’t even feel as though I’ve come close to repaying you for the generosity you showed me before at the mall. There must be something I can do for you in return. Anything.”

Ann let out a huff of a sigh. “If you’re going to insist, fine.” Clearly, Yusuke wouldn’t agree to her offer this time unless she agreed to let him give her something back. _But what?_

Then, it felt as though a lightbulb went off in her head. She snapped her fingers. “I know! How about you teach me how to fold origami?”

Yusuke tilted his head slightly. “To fold origami?” He repeated, which Ann nodded affirmingly at. “But couldn’t you learn to do so through other means? There are dozens of books on the subject, and I’m sure there are videos online you could watch to learn–”

“ _Please_ , Yusuke?” She clasped her hands together hopefully in front of her as she asked. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to learn, but I’ve never had the time. Plus, those books always make it more confusing than it looks. We can do it on the same days after I’m done modelling for you!”

He gazed back at her for a long moment, seeming to waver back and forth on his decision. Finally, he smiled and let out a sigh of defeat. “…I’m finding that it’s incredibly difficult to say no to you when you make that face, you know. Alright. If that’s truly what you want, then I agree to your deal.”

“Yes!” Ann cheered triumphantly. “Awesome, I’ll be looking forward to it!”

Ann felt like there was more she was going to say, but strong, familiar voice in her head decided at that moment to speak up. “ _Hmmm, going to be giving the boy a chance, I see?_ ” Carmen hummed curiously. Ann could practically see her take a drag of her cigar as she paused before continuing. “ _Interesting._ ”

“Ann?” The sound of Yusuke saying her name jerked her attention back to reality, Carmen letting her go with an amused chuckle in the back of her mind. “Are you alright? You were staring into space with a strange look in your eyes…”

“O-oh, sorry! No need to worry about me, I was just… uh… I-It’s not important, never mind.” If Carmen had the ability to speak to her in the real world, that meant the others had probably experienced the same thing before, right? But there was something about what she had just said that made Ann sheepishly reluctant to share it with him. “What’s up, is something wrong?”

Yusuke did seem to give her a knowing look for a moment, but apparently decided to drop it. “Ren has just informed us that we’re all meeting tomorrow.” He told her, Ann just now noticing that he had pulled his phone from his pocket at some point. “I can’t help but feel like there’s something off about it, though…”

“Something off?” Ann asked, quickly taking out her own phone and checking their messages. Reading the words across the screen, she frowned. “Huh. I think I see what you mean. It’s like he typed it in a hurry, or something.”

Then, Ann’s eyes drifted up at the clock in the corner, her eyes growing wide. “It’s already _this_ late?!” Her mouth fell open. “Why didn’t you say anything, Yusuke?!”

Yusuke just then seemed to take notice of the time himself. “Oh. I suppose I was so absorbed in my work, I didn’t realize we had already passed into evening…”

There was something admirable about the way Yusuke completely threw himself into his work like that, but right now, all Ann could think about was the homework she had to get done before the day’s end. She rushed over to grab her bag from beside the rock, whirling around to look at him one last time. “I gotta head home before it gets too late!” She was about to run off, but forced her feet to stay still a moment longer. “Oh, but thank you for today! It was really nice!”

“It was my pleasure.” Yusuke thanked her in reply, folding his sketchbook closed and slipping it under his arm in a much calmer manner. “Your company is always appreciated, Ann. Please, don’t let me keep you here any longer. I will let you know when my studio is ready for your arrival.”

“I’ll get myself fired up for it in the meantime!” Ann said with a smile, which Yusuke returned. “I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow, Yusuke!”

With that, she swiveled herself back around and rushed down the hiking path that cut through the trees, heading towards the station as fast as her legs could carry her. Above her head, the warm and cool colors of the sky at sunset melded together like paint on a canvas, meeting in the middle to create a soft, lovely purple stretching across the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 4/12/18: HI IM STILL ALIVE AND THIS CHAPTER HAS ALSO BEEN REVISED ON A FEW THINGS (most notably the conversation between yusuke and ann about his art troubles)
> 
> \--
> 
> idk how obvious it is in the way i write about yusuke and his artist's block problems but i relate to this boy a lot like hOO BOY
> 
> so i might be projecting onto him a lil bit (especially since the whole of summer was a super hard art slump for me, and as an art major in college experiencing art block sUCKS REAL BAD) but i also wanted to delve a bit deeper into the problems he presents during his confidant, so i'll try not to just project all of my art insecurities onto him i swear |D (i feel like criticism is a legit problem he would face after the stuff w/ madarame tho)
> 
> btw just as a side note, this is going to be as canon compliant as possible to the events in the game (bc i want this fic to be like a exploration of the idea of their relationship developing and how it develops alongside everything that happens) but there are probably going to be a couple things that are a lil off. like did u guys know that literally right after yusuke moves back into the dorms, makoto interrogates ren about being the phantom thieves exactly the next day?? bc i completely forgot and uhhhhhh oops-

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT 4/12/18: this chapter has been revised to fix a couple of things that were bugging me (nothing big), but also for anyone who doesn't know YES i am still invested in this fic and will be getting back to it soon ;w; just been having a really tough last semester dksfjkldnfklsdlfjsdfhdksfjlsdjfsd


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